title: Involvement of medical students and fresh medical graduates of Karachi, Pakistan in research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the involvement in research, of final year medical students and fresh graduates of Karachi, Pakistan and to identify the factors influencing their interest in medical research.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, questionnaire based study was conducted in 2007-2008. Five institutes representing the private and public hospitals in the city were selected by cluster sampling. Final year medical students and fresh graduates were included. Descriptive statistics were charted using SPSS v.16 after double data entry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 378, 186 (49%) participants had journal reading habits due to the requirement of their institution. Mostly, 157 (41%) undergraduates had already participated in a research project, however mostly in the field as data collectors or computer work. Institutional influence and speciality of interest was found to be statistically significant factors related to a respondent's interest or involvement in research. (chi2 =9.970, p-value = 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is keen interest and involvement in research, among final year medical students and fresh graduates of Karachi, Pakistan. However, the factors driving them are based on their university research encouragements and future plans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ejaz
authors.forename: Muhammad Shahid
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shamim
authors.forename: Muhammad Shahzad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shamim
authors.forename: Syed Abid
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D035843:Biomedical Research; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires